Friday, 20 November 2009

Copa Sudamericana Semi Final 2nd Legs

Fluminense reached the Copa Sudamericana final by scoring twice in second half injury time to overcome Cerro Porteño 2-1 and 3-1 on aggregate at Maracanã on Wednesday.

The Fluzão were certainly up for it but Cerro Porteño, trailing after the first leg, levelled the tie with only six minutes on the clock when midfielder Luis Caceres converted a cross from striker Cesar Ramirez which deflected in off a Fluminense defender. Diego Barreto was again having a marvellous game in the Cerro goal, denying chance after chance as Fluminense looked to retake the initiative. With the tie heading for penalties there was a dramatic conclusion. Two minutes into second half injury-time defender Gum struck home to put Fluminense level on the night and ahead in the tie and as Cerro Porteño chased an equaliser in what little injury time was left goalkeeper Barreto was caught upfield in attack and Alan made it 2-1 rolling the ball into an empty net to send the Fluzão wild and give Fluminense a 7th straight win in all competitions.

Then after the final whistle a massive fight broke out between all the players on both teams, with the Fluminense and Cerro Porteño coaching staff also trading blows before Brazilian military police stormed the field to break it up and force the Cerro players down the tunnel and back into the sheds before the Fluminense players could finally celebrate with their supporters.

Liga de Quito stormed into the Copa Sudamericana finals with a thumping 7-0 win over River Plate Montevideo, easily overturning a 2-1 defeat in the first leg.

Claudio Bieler opened the scoring from the spot after 18 minutes after Neicer Reasco was brought down in the box. Then Carlos Espinola headed home Edison Méndez's corner in the 28th, and River ability to defend disappeared at the end of the first half when Bieler's cross was headed back across the goal by Walter Calderon for an unmarked Miller Bolanos to smash the ball home. The tie was all over there and then and Méndez scored LDU's fourth 12 minutes after the break before former Birmingham City player Ulises De La Cruz made it 5-0 in the 78th minute it was party time. Bieler put the candles on the cake when he completed a hat-trick with strikes with 84 and 89 minutes on the clock.

So the final will be a repeat of last years Copa Libertadores final which LDU Quito won dramatically on a penalty shoot out in the Maracanã to stun the Fluzão. The first leg is again scheduled for Quito next week with the return in the Maracanã the week after.